Where Knowledge Junkies Get Their Fix
IN:
Sydney Beveridge
Winning Political Memorabilia From Losing Campaigns
by Sydney Beveridge - June 11, 2008 - 9:32 AM

With the end of Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid, the campaign swag and the items she inspired have become memorabilia. You can bid on any number of unique political relics on eBay.

clinton-clock.jpg

Clinton may not be running the country next year, but she can govern your desk with this clock.

guitarpick.jpg

You can pick Clinton anytime with this guitar pick necklace. And if your dog refuses to concede defeat, you can give him a “Boston Terriers for Hillary” pin.

hillary-painting.jpg

For a classy decoration, try an original oil painting of Clinton (John McCain and Barack Obama also available).

clinton-obama-button.jpg

Also, one eBay vendor sells “Dream Team” buttons, featuring an Obama-Clinton ticket. (No word on whether that mystery vendor is Hillary herself.)
* * * * *
According to the Smithsonian, ever since Andrew Jackson’s successful bid for the 1828 presidential election, candidates have campaigned with buttons, snuff boxes and other novelties.

andrew-jackson-medal.jpg

One of his campaign medals made it to eBay.

In case Clinton and Jackson have you feeling nostalgic for other campaigns, a number of older political artifacts are also available for sale.

gore-campaign.jpg

Cuddle up with an Al Gore 2000 campaign Beanie Baby while wearing a 1988 Al Gore for President button.

john-kerry-toys.jpg

Make donkey sounds by pressing a button on a John Kerry 2004 doll.

dole-dukakis.jpg

Say “It’s Time for a Change” like you mean it with a Bob Dole 1996 campaign pocket knife. Or say “It’s Time for a Change” more gently with a Dukakis-Bentsen 1988 campaign thimble.

goldwater-water.jpg

When you’re done shopping, enjoy a can of Barry Goldwater “Gold Water”—”the Right Drink for the Conservative Taste.”

If you find it difficult to put a monetary value on any of these goodies, the American Political Items Collectors organization (http://apic.us) or the recently published Warman’s Political Collectibles guide may be helpful.

Is anyone holding on to campaign memorabilia from a previous election cycle?

Shhh…super secret special for blog readers.

Comments (10)
  1. They probably couldn’t put them on eBay, but my dad has a McCain 2000 bumper sticker on his car, and my mom has a Bill Bradley 2000 bumper sticker on hers.

    They need new cars.

  2. In my safe deposit box I have 10 “Bush: Texas Governor” Bumper Stickers from the 1998 re-election campaign. I am waiting for the right time to sell them, if there ever is one.

    I also have a “Republi-Can” of soda from 2000 with a picture of then Gov. Bush on it.

    Here is hoping that he gets out of office with a 40% approval rating so these things may be worth more than 50 cents. I will keep my fingers crossed REALLY tight.

  3. i don’t have this, but i wish i did…

    i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc275/thehousenextdoor/2007/Links%20for%20the%20Day/November%209th%202007/quayle-96.gif

  4. I have a Kerry-Edwards weekly pill organizer that a friend who was a campaign staffer gave me. I guess it shows what demographic they were targeting.

  5. I have a ticket to a campaign rally for Geraldine Ferraro.

  6. I have an “I’m Carrying The Torch For Ferraro” campaign t-shirt :-)

  7. I have a Dean for America tshirt. I got it thinking it would be fun to wear in the future, but now it’s too big. I guess I have that to look forward to for my pudgy 50s.

  8. I’m from Pittsburgh, and the Heinz pickle pin is an honored tradition here (the history museum dedicated to Western PA has a display of pickle pins through the years). When Kerry came to CMU’s campus in 2000 they were selling Kerry pickle pins. My friends and I convinced the guy to give us a discount on them because there were so many of us buying them at once.

  9. Bustedtees.com has McCain 1908 t-shirts.

  10. I have a Jesse Jackson ‘88 button from a rally in Montana.
    My reCaptcha: eratory our

Comment

commenting policy